A Brighter Shadow (rewrite)
by ayybeesea
Summary: Flynt is thrown into a new world after performing a suicidal act to save the people who had turned their backs on him. Considered an embarrassment to shades, and a monster to humans, he cannot return. What does the new world have in store for the half-blood? - Chapter 4 - "Samantha please, I need help. She needs help… I have nowhere else to go."
1. A New World

**Here we go again!**

* * *

Flynt was dead.

His dying breath was spent making sure his enemy met the same fate. He wasn't sure what exactly he did, but he knew the raw power achieved by sacrificing his physical body was immense. Even Elder Garrison wouldn't have been able to survive that, but Flynt still had doubts in the back of his mind. He started going over possible scenarios that would lead to Garrison's survival, but each scenario seemed more insane than the last.

It then occurred to him that he should be dead too, and if that was the case then why was he able to think these thoughts? Perhaps he was simply in some form of afterlife, doomed to be alone for all eternity in this dark empty setting. If he were alive he might have panicked, but there was no point now; the darkness couldn't hurt him as long as he was in this state.

* * *

Though it was a small movement, the sudden change from absolute stillness and limbo to solid form and falling caught him off guard. He didn't know which way was up, or where his head was, but he could feel his collective mass accelerating in one direction. Then he felt the heat. The void he just left was cold enough to make a temperate fall evening feel like the surface of a star. All at once his senses were overloaded as he suddenly felt his arms and legs again. He closed his eyes, but light flooded through his eyelids, bathing his vision in orange instead of the black he'd gotten used to. The wind pulled back on his clothing, and bombarded his ears with noise as it rushed past. He could breathe again. He opened his eyes and saw the grass covered edge of a small lake below him. On the grass sat a cabin below and in front of him, and to his right, a forest. His speed was slowing and the cabin was growing smaller; he'd been falling up the entire time. As he reached the apex of his ascent, he realized that his fall wouldn't be pleasant unless he did something about it.

Flailing his arms about, he made his best attempt to expend whatever energy he had to break his fall. The best he managed was a burst of shadow from the ground that enveloped him, slowing his descent by enough to keep him from dying on impact. Despite his efforts, his landing produced a snapping sound, and a searing pain that shot up his right arm. He managed to stay awake and turn his head to the side, getting his face out of the dirt. Though he knew it was a bad idea, he still tried to move; his arm reminded him that it was probably broken, which meant that he'd be useless in a fight considering he was also too dazed to focus on anything magical. He was helpless, and even though the people who were after him might not be around at the very moment he knew that someone lived in that cabin, and would likely discover him soon.

Flynt managed to move his head to the front, and lean slightly with the support of his good arm. Someone was approaching. They stopped in front of him.

Your time's up. He heard himself think. I wonder who has the honor of killing you.

Flynt's vision began to focus as the person kneeled down next to him and placed their hands on his head. It was somewhat soothing, a gentle, kind touch. It wasn't what he expected at all; it reminded him of someone.

"Molly?" Flynt croaked.

Flynt's vision continued to clear; he could see long black hair and golden eyes. Those eyes… Flynt couldn't stop staring at them, they way they seemed to glow was almost hypnotizing. He felt hopelessly lost, adrift in the warm golden glow. It was the opposite of what he'd just experienced, and gave him comfort where the void gave him fear.

Flynt raised his hand and grabbed ahold of something fuzzy and warm. He felt his hand being slapped away quickly.

The person stood, and Flynt watched her walk away. She returned after a short time with something in her arms.

"Molly," Flynt repeated.

"Yeah." was the woman's response

"Moll-" Flynt's repetition was cut short by a spike of pain in his right arm. He yelled as he jerked out of the woman's arms and fell back to the ground, adding to his pain which further increased his volume. His vision was starting to fade. The woman might have said something before she grabbed his other arm, but Flynt wasn't sure. His head no longer hurt, but he now felt weightless everywhere except for his feet. It was the last thing he felt before blacking out.

He wasn't dead. Not yet.

* * *

 **Heeeeere weeeeee gooooooo. Going through the same thiiiiing.**

 **Thank you for your kind and supportive words. Here's to new beginnings.**

 **GG**


	2. A Good Host

_Flynt was standing in the woods that bordered the capital of Prentice. It was cold enough for snow to crunch beneath his feet as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. He was standing in front of someone with a look of desperate disbelief on her face. Her hands were covering her mouth, and she seemed frozen in time, like she was taking an eternal step away from him. Her hair was just as red and as long as he remembered, and she stood slightly shorter than he did, though the difference was made dramatic by her reaction to him. Molly._

 _The scene before him began to pick up it's sense of time as Molly began to complete her retreat. Time soon began flowing like normal again as Molly began to speak._

 _"No…" she uttered. "Impossible. The Thrall is dead."_

 _A dream?_

 _His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed his dream-self approach Molly from behind him._

 _"I'm telling the truth, but that doesn't change who I am." Flynt summoned a small dark flame to prove his point._

 _Molly backed away further. "Are you kidding me!? Do you even know what you've done to this kingdom? To the people? To me!?"_

 _Flynt approached her again with open arms. "Yes, I know the stories, but that's not how things went down. I can explain everything, I promise."_

 _Molly pushed him away. "You can't explain anything! How long were you planning to keep up this charade, waiting in the dark for the right moment to destroy the kingdom once and for all!?"_

 _"I didn't-"_

 _"You destroyed the lives of innocent people! You killed people who did nothing to you! You betrayed your masters and went on a murderous rampage! You-" Her ferocity faltered. "You're a monster." She turned quickly to make her way back to the capital._

 _Flynt grabbed her arm. "Molly wait!"_

 _She screamed and punched at his arm. "Let go of me!"_

 _Despite what Molly wanted to communicate through her punches and yelling, what Flynt saw in her eyes wasn't anger, it was fear. She was afraid of him now. He made a mistake._

 _"Please!" She pleaded._

 _Flynt obliged and watched her sprint back to the capital._

* * *

Flynt hadn't dreamed in six years. Waking up was a list of tests to make sure he returned from his dreaming state. Staring at the slowly rotating ceiling fan for a long time was one of them. After all this time of him being unable to dream properly at night he suddenly had a dream after his near-death experience. He wasn't sure what it meant, but he had more pressing issues on hand.

 _Where am I?_

The room he was in was slightly dark, there were curtains covering the windows, but he could tell that the wall next to him was painted a soft blue color. Flynt took his eyes off the ceiling and looked to the far wall. The large comfortable looking chair that was in the corner of the room caught his attention first mostly because it contained a sleeping woman sprawled across the arms. Flynt guessed that she was his host, the woman who dragged him off the beach the previous day. To the right of the chair was a stone fireplace built into the wall, perfect for setting a certain mood, or simply for traditional heating. The ashes on the polished hardwood floors told him that the fireplace was either recently used, or due for a cleaning.

Flynt was alive, that's what was important. He didn't know where he was, but he was alive, and he planned to stay that way. Maybe he was on a remote island, or another land far away from his own, somewhere where his story hadn't yet reached, but there was a possibility that his host knew exactly who he was and was simply keeping him here until the proper authorities showed up. This possibility was his motivation for leaving. It would be better to stay cautious than to just assume things that he'd regret later. Upon sitting up, he noticed unsurprisingly that his arm no longer screamed in pain whenever he moved it. Even if she was a random person waiting to turn him in, he owed her a thank you for letting him heal for the night. Even though Flynt had dreamed for the first time in six years, his body hadn't lost its ability to heal and repair itself rapidly during his sleep. He swung his legs off the bed and stood up, making sure he didn't wake up his host. In his haste to leave, he didn't notice that he was leaving his sword behind until he was out the room and in the main hall. He turned around to find it when he found himself face-to-face with his host.

"Good morning." she said in a soft, smooth tone.

She was captivating, and apparently she was more than Flynt first thought. She had beautiful features he'd expect to see on royalty. Two black, pointed canine ears stuck out from under her long hair of the same color. Three whisker marks were present on each cheek, and her smile displayed nearly human teeth with slightly elongated canines. Her eyes were by far her best feature. They glowed a warm gold directly contrasting with the darkness he'd experienced the previous day. The warmth in her eyes gave him a comfort unlike any he'd experienced before. He could stare for hours.

 _Something's wrong._

Flynt forced himself to look away, choosing the floor as a welcome target for his attention. The silence that resulted was more than awkward as Flynt continued to stare at the floor to escape her captivating eyes.

"Look at me." The words flowed through his ear and tickled his brain. It was more of a command than a request, a command that really seemed like common sense when he thought about it. After all, it was only good manners to look at someone while speaking to them.

On his way back up to her eyes, Flynt caught sight of what he previously thought to be a blanket of sorts, but was a group of white tails originating from behind his host. He was now staring at the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen wearing t-shirt and shorts. Her eyes seized him once again, but this time he felt their full power. He grew tired and stumbled backwards until his back hit the front door behind him. His legs failed him, and he sunk to the floor. He couldn't think; his mind was butted by a thick layer of fog, and the only thing he could see clearly was her. His host smirked and began walking towards him. She kneeled down and placed a hand on his head, stroking his white hair.

She spoke, in the same semi-commanding tone used previously. "You're a very interesting man, aren't you?" Her smile seemed almost predatory, showing those sharp canines that were now associated with her power rather than her beauty; it sent involuntary shivers down Flynt's spine. "I'm curious, since it's not everyday I get a meal delivered to my doorstep, who are you, and where did you come from?"

"Flynt." He said in a daze. "My name is Flynt." He took a moment to sort out his thoughts as he navigated his way through the fog. "I… I should be dead. I don't know where I am. I was fighting in Prentice… and then I died to kill someone. Now I'm here with you."

"Who were you fighting?"

"Everyone."

"What?"

"They all hated me. They found out and grouped. I fought them all. I think I lost. Prentice won."

His host raised an eyebrow "I've never heard of a Prentice. What city-state do you come from?"

"I don't know what that is. I come from Prentice. It's a kingdom."

She raised the other eyebrow, and smiled a little. "So you're not from here then. You've never heard of Piltover? Ionia?"

Flynt just shook his head.

"Huh. Interesting."

Flynt saw his vision come back into focus, and was able to break the stare between them. At the same time, his head began to ache and the world began to spin. He groaned before allowing his head to rest in his palms. "What did you do to me?"

The woman stood up from where she was sitting. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Stand up."

Flynt glanced up and took in the sight before him. His host was still beautiful, but for some reason it seemed less impactful, as if whatever she did to him altered his perception of her. He didn't trust her, he needed to leave now before she had a chance to do whatever it was she did again, but he needed answers to his burning questions, and he had a feeling that she had them, so he followed her into the room in front of them. "Who are you? What just happened?" He glanced around. "And where am I?"

She sat on the shorter of the two couches that occupied the space while Flynt took the longer one. "I suppose it doesn't matter that you know who I am, seeing as you don't come from here. My name is Ahri, and you are in a land called Runeterra."

"I don't understand. That's impossible. What's today? How long was I asleep?"

"It's December First, a Saturday, and you were asleep for the rest of yesterday and up until now, so maybe nineteen hours?"

 _I was in that void for an entire month?_

Flynt stood from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Ahri asked.

"Away. Thank you for taking me in for the night, but I need to leave."

"Oh that's a good idea." As she stood up too, her eyes seemed to shine brightly for a brief second, and Flynt lost himself again. "You have no idea where you're going, where you are, or if there's anything or anyone for miles. How about you stay here for the day. I promise I'll make it worth your while." The corner of her mouth drew in a sly smile as she suddenly approached him, bringing her lips right next to his ear. "Or you could come with me." Her hand brushed lightly against Flynt's cheek, the aggressive smile returning to her face.

Flynt saw her eyes flash pink for a brief second, and that feeling returned, only with much more intensity. His heartbeat increased while his breath was cut short. He nearly fell to his knees as the back of his mind that told him that he was in danger. Just as he was about to collapse, the feeling vanished completely. He found his breath, his heart began pumping at a steady beat, and he closed his eyes. He could feel his chest growing warm. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that his pendant was glowing a soft black tone, and was the source of the warmth against his chest. Ahri seemed not to notice.

He took a second to find words. "No, I'll wait here."

He returned his gaze to her and noticed a look of confusion and disappointment on her face. "Fine. Your loss." She chuckled as she walked past him and out the front door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, he sighed and threw himself onto the couch.

 _I should go. I need to leave. This woman is dangerous._

He flipped himself over and held his pendant up to examine it. The glow had disappeared, and it looked the same as it had since he'd received it. The smooth, polished stone shined in his hand. It was one of the last remaining things from his childhood. The polished black stone was carved in the shape of an S with a line splitting it horizontally. It was a gift from his father, and his only remaining form of identity as a Shade. He'd worn the pendant for as long as he could remember, and the only other time he could recall his pendant heating up like that was apparently one month ago, when he broke free from the binds of Garrison. His father had probably saved his life twice with whatever magical properties that were embedded in the stone.

 _Thank you._

He glanced at the door, and resolved to take his chances. Maybe Ahri was right, he had no idea where he was or who was outside this cabin, but he felt confident in his ability to handle whatever it was as long as he had-

 _My sword!_

He reached for his hip, but the familiar handle was absent from its place. It had to be here somewhere in this cabin. Maybe it was close to where he landed. Flynt sprinted out of the door, making his way to his landing zone.

* * *

Flynt trudged back to Ahri's house defeated. He spent so long searching for his sword that he didn't notice that the sun was beginning to set. As soon as he opened the door he was met with the aroma of cooking, and the sound of pitch-perfect humming. When he closed the door, the humming stopped, and he heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. Ahri was in front of him within seconds.

She smiled. "Back so soon?"

Flynt glanced at her and was thrown into a state of disbelief and annoyance. She was leaning against his sword, using it like a cane. "That… is mine."

"I assumed as much."

"Give it to me."

Ahri smiled. "I don't know. I wouldn't feel comfortable with you having a weapon in my house. Especially since I have no weapons of my own to defend against whatever you might be planning."

Flynt sighed. "If you don't give me the sword, I'm going to break you in half and then take it."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now. You can have it later."

Flynt furrowed his brow and yelled. "Give it to me!" He lunged at Ahri and grabbed hold of the scabbard.

Ahri pulled back, and yelled as well. Flynt could plainly see her irises glowing a fierce pink as she spoke. "Let go!"

He was almost compelled to follow her commands, but he felt the same cleansing sensation as his pendant began to heat up once more. Flynt smirked as he grabbed the handle of the sword and pulled it out of it's sheath. He backed up and raised his sword. "And the scabbard please. I just want to leave."

Ahri laughed and three blue flames were summoned by her side. Flynt couldn't react in time as one of them flew into his chest. His pendant grew hot; it couldn't absorb the flame. Instead the fire slammed into an invisible barrier, expanding rapidly on impact. The barrier re-directed the massive fire around him. Despite the magic barrier, Flynt still felt the immense heat; it was far hotter than any normal fire. Thanks to his pendant blocking the majority of the flame, he recovered in time to anticipate the second and third flames, dodging them accordingly despite the lingering burn of his protective pendant against his chest.

"My turn." He said to himself as he leaped into the air, spun once, and slashed his sword in her direction.

Ahri's look of confusion turned into a look of alarm as Flynt's seemingly out of range strike emitted a wave of dark energy in her direction. It collided with her and sent her into the living room floor. As the dust cleared, Flynt approached Ahri who was laying in a break in the polished wooden floorboards.

She blinked and winced as she sat up. She now stared at Flynt with a look of bewilderment. "Who… what **are** you?"

Flynt smirked as he picked the scabbard up from where it landed. "A pissed off shade. Pleasure meeting you."

As he walked out the door, Ahri stood up and began slowly following him. "How did you do that!?"

Flynt ignored her and continued out of the house and onto the beach. Once there, Flynt stood still and took a deep breath in preparation for a spell. This teleportation spell was the very first spell he'd learned from the Elders, and it had come in handy quite a few times. He closed his eyes and began channeling the spell; a black sphere began to form around him. It was slowly gaining opacity, and upon becoming completely opaque, it would initiate the teleport and take everything within it to the location desired.

"Wait! Stop!" He heard Ahri's voice and opened his eyes to see her running at him with no intention of stopping. If she interfered now, she would probably end up being cut in half by the spell.

She was running at him like she wanted to push him away, and she wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. If she succeeded, it was possible that they would both end up dead from the same spell. Flynt did the only thing that came to mind. He reached out and grabbed her arm as soon as she was close enough. Flynt pulled Ahri in close, taking care to also pin her tails to her back so that they would both fit in the sphere.

"Hey! What are you-" Ahri was cut off as the sphere disappeared from the world, leaving behind a missing chunk of grass.

* * *

 **GG**


	3. An Old World

Deep in the woods that bordered the capital city of Prentice was a clearing and a small pond. At one end of this pond, directly below a large tree stood a small shack constructed with the remains of raided merchant wagons. The shack suffered from years of neglect, apparent in the rotting wood that was badly in need of replacing. In front of the shack appeared a dark sphere that was barely visible against the dark background of the nighttime forest. As the sphere slowly began to turn translucent an observer could point out two figures embraced in the air, one of which had nine white, fluffy tails coming from behind her and the other holding those tails away from the edges of the sphere. When the sphere completely disappeared, the two figures lowered slowly to the ground along with the mound of dirt taken from their previous location. When their feet touched the ground, the taller figure collapsed almost immediately.

Ahri backed away from Flynt and glanced around. "What did you do? Where are we?"

Flynt sat up, letting his back rest against the shack behind him; he was breathing heavily. "Welcome," he said between breaths, "to Prentice."

"You mean-"

"I brought myself back home." He coughed a few times. "I didn't know it was so far away; I've never felt this bad after doing that before."

"Well what about me? Why did you bring me here?"

"I had to, otherwise you would have killed us both with your attempt to stop the spell."

"You could have pushed me away, you could have moved, you could have done anything else!"

"Yeah, and you could have simply let me leave."

"You attacked me, and trashed my house!"

"Self-defense, you tried to bake me like a chicken."

"Because you drew a sword!"

"I took my sword back from you, and even told you that I didn't want any trouble."

"Look at it from my point of view. You fell from a thousand feet in the air. You should be dead. You not only lived, but recovered from that fall in one night. You broke through a charm with little effort and then drew a weapon against me. What was I supposed to do?"

Flynt began to stand, leaning against the shack for support. "I could make the same argument. Something about a captor who doesn't want me to leave and has the ability to mess with my head doesn't sit well with me. What was I supposed to do when you refused to give me my sword and let me leave?"

Ahri glared at him. "Can't you just take me back?"

Flynt pushed himself off the shelter and shook his head. "I'd love to, if only so that you'd leave me alone, but if I tried I'd probably end up killing myself. That spell takes a lot of energy to perform once. It's amazing that I didn't suffer more just bringing you along."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Good question." Flynt began walking into the forest. "Sounds like the kind of thing I wouldn't care about."

Ahri began to follow him. "What if I helped you?"

"With what?"

"Well, you're back, right? And last time you were here you were fighting the people, so I'm guessing you're here for revenge."

Flynt said nothing and continued walking.

"Ok, well if you're not here for that, what are you here for?"

"Answers."

"To what questions?"

"If I tell you will you stop bothering me?"

"Sure."

Flynt began explaining while navigating the forest. "I'm headed to the capital city of Prentice. I lived there for three years or so. It was great. I had friends and people who cared about me. I found someone I loved who also loved me… or at least I thought she did."

"So you want to know if she's moved on or…"

"No, just listen. Before Flynt, I was known only as the Shadow's Thrall. The Elders of this kingdom told stories of me, terrible stories about the things I've done, though none of it is truthful. I thought that I would be able to trust her with the truth. I thought she'd at least let me explain. In the end she ran off to alert the Fez, the king's elite guard, and I returned to the capital to find them waiting for me. No one would let me explain, and I only fought back once I knew I was going to die if I didn't." Flynt took a short pause. "I fought as best I could, but in the end I was forced to use my own life to at least kill the one responsible: Elder Garrison."

"So you're still alive, and you want to know what's going on?"

Flynt nodded. "If I'm alive… he could be as well. I just want to know for sure."

"Alright… or you could forget about that and just take me home."

"And what would that accomplish?"

Ahri shrugged. "Well, these people think you're dead, why don't you just keep it that way? You could just go on about your business somewhere else and get back that life you seem to want back."

"It's not that simple."

"Then what am I missing? Is it the girl? She must be something special."

Flynt stopped walking, nearly causing Ahri to run into him. He was silent for a moment before he started forward again, saying, "Why are you following me?"

"I'm making sure you don't get killed."

"How sweet, I'm touched."

"Very funny. I'm only doing it to make sure I can get back home before you end up killing yourself."

"I don't need you here, you can go back."

"Even if I knew my way, the broken down, mangled pile of scrap I'm guessing you call a home isn't exactly the most comfortable of places to wait."

"It's not- nevermind."

"So what are you going to do when you find out that this Garrison guy is still alive?"

"Kill him."

"Alright, because…"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't, I'm just curious."

"You don't need to know. You won't even be here long enough for it to matter."

The two eventually reached a downward slope where the trees stopped growing. In front of them was a quiet village existing just outside the walls of a city of stone. In the center of the city stood a modest castle with one tower that stood above the rest. It was easily the tallest building in the city, watching over the rest of the city as the people went about their business.

"So this is it then?" Ahri asked. "That's Prentice?"

Flynt nodded. "I want you to stay here."

"There's no way you're leaving me here alone, and I'm keeping you alive, remember?"

"I appreciate the gesture, but this is for your own safety." Flynt slid down the dirt slope and began running in the direction of the village border before Ahri had time to protest.

The moon was out and full; the shadows were long and dark. The shadow cast by the tall prison tower standing behind the castle was immense; he could feel it from the wooden fence that separated the farmland from the plain. It didn't take Flynt long to reach the inner walls of the capital. His experience had taught him the shortest route, and though he felt exhausted, he pushed himself to run the entire way. He traveled along the stone wall until he reached a closed gate flanked on both sides by wooden towers holding at least an archer apiece. If he weren't so tired he could figure out a way around the obstacle, but for now he just backtracked his way back to the north side of the settlement surrounding the capital; the stage was located there, and it was where everything went down one month ago.

Flynt eventually reached the giant marble disk that was buried in the ground. It's engraved surface was used for plays, public announcements, and stories told by the Elders. The disk was now concentrically cracked in the middle, and though the stone seating was still intact, the stage looked like it had been abandoned for weeks. Columns that held braziers of flame were knocked over, and vines had grown along the stone.

"You're persistent, I'll give you that."

 _Garrison._ Flynt tried to draw his sword, but he was too slow. A wave of force struck him, pushing him down on his stomach. Bands of light formed around his ankles and wrists, securing him to the floor. Flynt struggled against the bindings, but there was no divine intervention this time. Heat began concentrating at his wrists, and then it exploded violently across his entire body. Garrison's bindings delivered pain akin to being burned alive. He couldn't hold back his yells, and he was too exhausted to try and resist. Though it lasted for less than a minute, it felt as if an hour had passed. His head was swimming, and he didn't even know it had stopped until he heard conversation behind him, a laugh and a kiss. The next thing he knew, Ahri was helping him stand back up.

"And you said you wouldn't need me. Are you alright?"

Flynt groaned.

"Perfect."

Flynt leaned on her for support. He should have waited a day before coming here, but he couldn't let his exhaustion take over now. "We need to go."

"You need to take a rest first."

"We need to go now!" He grumbled as he shoved his weight in the direction of the forest.

Ahri nearly dropped him. "Why? What's the rush?"

"Just come on." The two of them began making their way out of the village.

Flynt should have waited for the next day. He should have known that Garrison would have used some Elder wisdom or something to sense the enormous amount of energy used in teleporting here, and if Garrison showed up, he'd have reinforcements somewhere. More than likely the Fez were contacted, and following him right now, but there was a chance that they hadn't caught up yet.

Flynt's thoughts were interrupted when an arrow pierced his left shoulder. He collapsed out of Ahri's arms. Flynt glanced up, and saw the short hill leading to the forest past the short wooden fence. Ahri started to help him up, but Flynt waved her off. "Go!"

Ahri's ears perked up and she jumped back just before an arrow dug itself into the ground between the two of them. She stared at the rooftop, preparing her essence orb, but what she saw was more than one lone archer. At least six men armed with bows stood on the rooftops of buildings in front of her, and on the ground a larger group of soldiers began closing in. Her orb disappeared. She couldn't fight them all. Even if Flynt wasn't injured they still couldn't fight them together, but she couldn't run either.

"I will be fine. Just go." Flynt was on his knees now looking into her eyes. "I'll find you later."

"You're going to die. I can't leave you here."

"I'll be fine. Just go!"

Ahri took a step back before running in the direction of the forest.

"How noble of you, Thrall." A voice boomed.

Flynt turned his head to see the head of Fez standing before him. Behind him were at least ten others, and Flynt could make out seven archers above him.

"How… honorable… unexpected. I expected a creature such as yourself to use that girl as a shield. Obviously she means something to you, so…" The leader waved his hand, and Flynt heard the sound of a bowstring releasing.

He closed his eyes, bracing for the impact, but when it never came he knew exactly what just happened. He spun his head back towards the forest just in time to see Ahri fall to the ground.

"No!"

"Yes! Like you have taken from us, we shall take from you. Yates, make sure she's dead."

One of the men broke ranks and began walking to Ahri.

"Don't touch her." Flynt growled as the soldier, Yates, passed him.

Yates' response was to spit on Flynt as he walked on. Flynt shut his eyes. He wanted to wait until Ahri was well out of his way before going to his last resort. The last time he'd resorted to his, it hadn't gone well for him, but last time an Elder was there to stop him. He'd have to take the risk, and hope he could control himself.

"We're not taking any chances this time." The leader muttered. He waved his arm again, and another archer let an arrow fly. This one was aimed at Flynt's neck.

Flynt's eyes flew open at the same time the arrow was fired. He shifted his head to the left, catching the arrow with his right hand. He turned around as dark flame erupted around him. Flynt felt an immediate sense of revival. After abandoning this power for three years it was the second time he'd used it in a month. **_Feels good._** His eyes were void of color, and his hair became darker at the tips. There was a thin smile on his face; he chuckled as he held the arrow between his fingers high in the air.

"Shoot him!"

Flynt's response to the command was to throw the arrow back at its origin, piercing the archer who fired it through the chest. The remaining archers hesitated long enough for Flynt to draw his katana and slip into the shadows. These soldiers were foolish enough to attack him at night, when the world was enveloped in its own shadow.

 ** _Spare no one._**

 _Flynt flew through the fleeing crowds of people, his sword slashing at everything that breathed._

The archers fell one by one, and the foot soldiers were next. They tried to attack in groups, but it didn't mean much as Flynt slipped in and out of their vision. Despite their confidence, these men weren't remotely prepared for this combat.

 ** _They'll just send them all after you later, why not get rid of them now?_**

When all of his soldiers had fallen, the commander held his position against Flynt.

 _Everyone else had fled, the young man stood his ground. His poorly crafted blade and absent experience in combat didn't stop him from trying to defend his village._

Flynt held his blade low and pointed up.

 _He was waiting for his opponent to make the first move._

The commander charged.

 _Flynt timed his movement perfectly, dragging his foot behind himself as he dodged the swing. Flynt pivoted his blade so that it ran itself across the boy's side as he committed to the missing strike. The boy fell motionless-_

-a pool of blood forming where he lay.

Flynt's attention was drawn away by a woman's screams of protest. Turning towards the forest he saw a man in armor being pushed back by periodic bursts of weak blue flame. The source of the flame was a woman lying on the ground. She was injured.

 ** _Spare no one._**

Flynt reached the soldier in seconds, slicing his sword through his abdomen as he slowed to a stop. As the soldier fell to the ground, Flynt turned his attention to the woman below him. She was weak, frightened, and pleading. The words she spoke didn't reach him. He rose his sword, the tip pointing to her heart.

 ** _Spare no one._**

Staring into her eyes, he felt something familiar. It was a warm feeling.

"Please."

 _Spare..._

* * *

 **Kerbal: Late or not, you're first to the party. Welcome, sit down... have some beverages... don't leave... please. In all seriousness, you'll see more differences in the ways characters are portrayed (hopefully) and differences in how they interact with eachother (also hopefully). Thanks for stopping by.**

 **GG**


	4. Last Resort

**You wonderful people. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Allow me to celebrate by giving a slightly longer chapter.**

* * *

There was nowhere else to turn. He'd knocked twice now, and his stamina was waning, an effect of the arrow still buried in him. Flynt was standing on the doorstep of the only person in the capital who might help him. She was an old friend, one he'd met shortly before his return to Prentice as Flynt. She was the only one to ever have shown an interest in his side of the story, and though she stood with the rest of the capital on that day, she was his only hope of getting Ahri back alive.

The door opened, and in the frame was a tired brown haired girl in her mid twenties, around the same age as Flynt. Her brown eyes widened at the sight of him, and she nearly shut the door in Flynt's face.

"Wait!" Flynt stopped the door with his foot.

"Why are you here!?" the girl yelled. She moved to push him away but stopped herself once she noticed Ahri in Flynt's arms.

"Samantha please, I need help. She needs help… I have nowhere else to go. You said it yourself, that you'd want to hear my side of the story. Now's your chance."

"Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't. Leave me out here for all I care, I can handle it, but she needs help." Flynt nodded towards Ahri.

Samantha sighed. "You owe me." She opened the door and stepped aside. "But first we have to help your friend. Follow me, I'll clear off a table."

Flynt followed Samantha into the house and laid Ahri sideways on the now empty table he was led to.

Samantha inspected Ahri's wound. "The arrow went right through her; it's a nasty injury." Samantha shifted from her left foot to her right and back again. "Flynt I don't know if there's a lot that I can do here. I mean… considering where she got hit I don't think she's gonna make it."

"Just do whatever you can Sam. Please."

"Now that I think about it, I'm curious as to how you're still standing right now with that arrow in your shoulder. You carried her all the way here, and what happened to your hair?"

Flynt shook his head. "I'll be fine. Worry about her first."

"She's a lost cause. By now she's bleeding out from the inside. There's nothing I can do."

"There must be something you can do… anything."

Samantha paused for a moment. "I can try to stop the bleeding from the outside and close the wound as best I can, but that won't solve much. Taking it out at this point might open up a world of new problems, so she'll have to deal with it if she wakes up, and that's a big if." Samantha looked at the arrowhead. "I don't think it's poisoned, but even so anything I do would only delay her death. Our best bet is to do what we can and hope she survives the night. We can take her to someone else in the morning."

Flynt nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

Flynt placed Ahri gently on the guest bed, making sure to lay her on her side. Samantha eventually agreed to remove the arrow in fear of infection. A few healing spells, some potions, and a proper dressing was all Samantha could do for the woman. After Ahri's treatment Samantha insisted that Flynt give her a recap of the situation while addressing his shoulder wound. Once Samantha's questions were answered and Flynt's shoulder was patched up he promised to give her his life story, and now as he kneeled on the floor with his head resting on the mattress, he could feel the extra energy from his earlier actions leaving him at a steady rate. At any point he would succumb to his aching body's cries for sleep.

A finger brushed against his hair. A nail pressed lightly against his forehead. Flynt raised his head from the bed and stared into Ahri's dim eyes.

 _Impossible…_

She tried to say something, but what came out of her mouth was a whisper that Ahri herself couldn't hear. Flynt leaned in closer. "What was that?"

Ahri's fingers brushed against Flynt's cheek, and brought his eyes back to her's. "Thank you." She closed the distance between them and locked Flynt into a forced kiss.

At that moment his energy tanked. He was growing so tired so rapidly that he could feel energy pouring out of him and into her, but despite this he couldn't pull himself away. His chest grew increasingly heavy as he struggled to breathe, and eventually his lower body gave way, dropping him to the floor. His eyes shut before he touched it.

 _ **I warned you.**_

* * *

 _How could he be so naive? How could he be so hopeful? Had he not learned anything from the Elders? He had pondered these questions during his walk back to the village. Molly's reaction to his confession was not what he expected, but the more he thought about it, the less it surprised him. He watched her run away, and decided against chasing her; it would only have made the situation worse. Before making the journey back to the village, he took a different familiar route to the awful structure he called a home for the two years before making the village his new home. By now he'd guessed at the fate of his parents, and wanted to return to the shack to acknowledge that he was likely going to be with them soon. The walk back to the edge of the forest and eventually to the edge of the capital settlement was taken with no rush. He got as far as the marble stage before the party he expected began. Members of Fez stormed out from behind buildings and seating to push him to the center of the stage. They were well organized, swordsmen with shields stood closest to him in the ring of soldiers that surrounded Flynt while men with spears stood behind them, pointing their weapons an equal distance from him. In hindsight it might not have been a good idea to give them all so much time to prepare for his arrival. He wouldn't be able to fight them all at once, there was no possible way. He could survive against two, maybe three of the well trained Fez, but fighting this many while surrounded would be suicide, so he simply brought his hands above his head and got down on his knees in surrender. His surrender was almost like a play, with the entire royal guard as his audience._

 _The Fez directly in front of him parted to allow a small group of people inside the ring. Elder Garrison led two others to a surrendering Flynt. Garrison locked eyes with Flynt. A painful history brewed hate behind both pairs of eyes._

 _Elder Garrison began speaking. "I speak on behalf of the king when I say that this very worrying to know that this… thing has been living among us. He has been tricking us into thinking he is one of us, likely to gain our trust and wipe us all out at once." He smiled and stepped back, allowing the lead Fez to step forward. Before addressing Flynt, the soldier removed his helmet. His short brown hair was a mess, and there was anger behind his blue eyes. Ace._

 _"You know, I trusted you Flynt." Ace said, walking forward slowly with a frown on his face. "I was going to ask you to join the Fez. Imagine that: A personal invitation from the prince to join the most respected military organization in the Kingdom." He chuckled. "Guess I can't do that anymore."_

 _Flynt said nothing, he just remained where he was kneeling._

 _Ace drew the great sword from his back. Standing before Flynt was the spitting image of the king on the day of his capture. Everything had come full-circle. He wasn't sure what he expected. Even his pep talk and rhetorical questioning to himself hadn't changed his attitude about people and trust. He was going to die at the hands of his best friend of three years simply because of who- what he was._

 _He grunted. "Where's the fight in you? I know you can stand up to me. Show me what you can do with a blade Flynt, or was that all a big lie as well?"_

 _Flynt croaked. "None of it was a lie. You don't have to do this Ace, I'm your friend."_

 _"You have no right to call me that. Not after what you've done."_

 _Flynt raised his voice. "So this is what it's like." He stood slowly. "Being human is about ignoring the good people do and instead focusing on the labels placed on them. It's about believing the first thing you hear about someone and disregarding the possibility of a second half of the story." Flynt placed his hand on his sword. He was trying to keep himself in check. The situation brought his memory five years back. Betrayal was on his mind. "I'm glad I don't belong."_

 _"Draw. We'll settle this here and now."_

 _Garrison spoke up. "Master James, I advise against this."_

 _Ace glanced back at Garrison. "He speaks like he's innocent, like he didn't raze villages to the ground!" He turned back to Flynt, readying his sword. "Entire families slaughtered and you think you can get away scot-free by living in the dark for a few years."_

 _Ace wasn't entirely wrong. Flynt killed people, but it wasn't his fault. They attacked him, and he fought back; they died. The people of this kingdom declared war against him, and he retaliated the same as any other kingdom would. Then they caught him, and he escaped. He was announced dead, and returned to start anew, but he made the mistake of thinking his past was properly buried under his new self. In the beginning all he had was hope. He'd hoped that they'd never find out who he was. He'd hoped that he wouldn't slip up. He'd hoped to live a normal life like everyone else. He hoped that, of all people, at least Molly could see past his labels. His hope landed him in this very spot with Ace standing before him not as a friend, but as an enemy._

 _Flynt drew his sword and stood his ground, allowing Ace to make the first move. "Here and now." His voice was void of emotion; he needed to focus for this. Ace was playing to kill, but Flynt didn't want any more bloodshed._

 _"Nobody interrupts, not until he's dead," Ace announced before stepping forward with an experimental first swing._

 _Flynt simply leaned out of range and waited for his next strike. Ace pressed forward, delivering swing after swing at Flynt while Flynt stayed just outside of his reach. Flynt led Ace around the stage as if leading him an a ceremonial dance. The first sounds of the duel were heard as Flynt's scabbard collided with Ace's greatsword with enough force to shift its momentum. Ace was thrown off balance for just a second, and Flynt capitalized by shoving his shoulder into Ace. As Ace fell to the stone floor of the stage, Flynt's foot met with Ace's ribs and kept him on the floor. Flynt held his sword at Ace's neck._

 _"Well? What are you waiting for? Don't start showing mercy now!" Ace exclaimed._

 _Flynt stared back at him. "Just let me go."_

 _"ENOUGH!"_

 _An electric blue cuff materialized on Flynt's wrist. A sudden attractive force brought his hands together quickly, causing his sword to fall from his grip. A similar process occurred to his ankles, causing him to fall to the floor._

 _"An impressive display, Pariah, but it seems your time is up." Garrison was now on the stage with his arm extended in Flynt's direction._

 _Pariah._

 _The name brought back memories. Memories of a simple yet isolated life with the only family he'd ever known. Memories of the promises his guardians made to him: he'd be very important to the kingdom one day. Memories of those same guardians, the elders, imprisoning him in that damned tower. Memories of the whip, the chains, the water, the darkness. The betrayal. "A sacrifice for the good of the kingdom."_

 _And among those memories were the memories of a friend. He was about Flynt's height with similar features; they even had the same hairstyle. His name was forgotten, but Flynt remembered that he always appeared wrapped in shadows, like a ghost, and he always appeared when Flynt was at the edge of his will. They always talked about leaving the tower, but Flynt was never in any condition to try. Then the elders slipped up._

 _Flynt's trip down memory lane was interrupted by a shoe colliding with his ribcage._

 _"Garrison!" Ace called out._

 _"What!? This little shit killed your elders, my friends! Are you defending him after what he did?"_

 _Ace stood up and faced Garrison. "No. We should kill him now."_

 _"The king wants him-"_

 _"And what happened the last time we did what my father planned?" Ace turned back to Flynt with his sword raised._

 _Ace stood before him ready to strike him down, but at the moment time seemed to slow. Flynt felt a prickly sensation originate at his sword arm. It spread quickly to his other arm, and down to his legs. Flynt felt the force that bound his hands and feet disappear as the magical cuffs that restrained him shattered. He saw the power before he felt it. A sudden burst of dark flame that subtracted light from its surroundings enveloped him. Flynt rolled away from Ace's downward swing. Flynt recovered his own sword as Ace recovered from his miss. The flame grew once the weapon was in his hands._

 _Garrison was the only one in the crowd who could speak. "No…"_

 _Flynt readied his sword. "You seem surprised. Wasn't this what you were expecting?"_

 _No one made a move until Garrison unleashed a blast of magic at Flynt. Flynt simply stood in place as the blast flowed around him, the subsiding magic revealing a dark barrier protecting him._

 _"Kill it!" Garrison shouted._

 _Garrison and Ace fell back into the crowd of soldiers who rushed Flynt. Flynt swung his sword before they reached him, and a dark arcing projectile shot forward from his swing. The wave cut a path through the soldiers that led to their leaders. Before he could reach them he was cut off by the remaining Fez. They were closing fast, so Flynt made the first strike by running the closest soldier through. He turned around to intercept a swing from someone behind him and delivered a fatal counter. Flynt continued pushing through the Fez, staying on the offensive so he wouldn't get overwhelmed by their numbers._

 _He wasn't fast enough. Someone's strike found its mark; the sword cutting into his back. Flynt tried to retaliate, but the wound threw off his focus. Shortly after he gained a wound on his sword arm. Flynt continued fighting with his scabbard alone until a sword pierced his chest._

 _The blade slid out of him and he fell on his back, struggling to breathe. Ace stood over him with a pained expression on his face. Garrison joined him with a smile of triumph. The dark flaming aura surrounding Flynt had disappeared, leaving him with more energy than he should have had. It was enough for one last effort. He wasn't surviving this, but he was going to do the most to make sure he wasn't the only one dying today._

 _Flynt concentrated all of his available power into his uninjured left hand. He was dying anyways, so his choice was clear: Flynt began using his own life force once his energy was depleted. Flynt sprung backward, flinging his arm at Garrison. His hand connected with Garrison's ankle and all of the energy available poured out into one final devastating spell of raw power. Flynt was evaporated Garrison was annihilated by the force of the spell. Ace was thrown back into the crowd of remaining Fez behind him._

 _Ace got to his feet with the help of his soldiers. One man's cheers turned into roars of victory from the entire army as they all swarmed Ace, praising him as the hero of the fairy tale._

 _The land was saved, the Shadow's Thrall was finally killed, and they all lived happily ever after._

Or at least that's how it was supposed to happen.

* * *

 **silver330 - Thank you. The plan is to have the Flynt/Ahri dynamic actually exist this time instead of saying "time passed, and they hung out a bunch... trust me."**

 **Kerbal - Godamit... the logic grave is deep. I can't tell you how Garrison and the Fez found him so quickly, all things in good time. I had a group of friends once upon a time, and we called ourselves the Fez Organization. Now as for the thing about the things... Yeah, Ahri should be dead right now, but... y'know... magic. (plot armor) But even with her recovery aided by Flynt's generous donation, I agree that they'd probably have to go see a real doctor soon. Also, the exalted blade is very similar to the power Flynt can wield with his own sword.**

 **DANISHMONK - Yes, and perhaps he can learn from Ahri as well.**

 **Mango(x2) - The main plot of the story (or at least how it was supposed to go) remains the same, but I plan on changing a few things. I more or less have a plan this time. A lot of the weaker parts of the fic (including the return home arc and the parts before then) will be changed.**

 **gg**


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